THE SURFTHE SURF HERE IS CONSTANTLY POUNDING AWAY ON THE SHORE/ BEACH. THE SURF IS QUITE STRONG AND HIGH AND CAN VERY EASILY KNOCK YOU OVER. GETTING OUT OF THE WATER (PACIFIC OCEAN) CAN ALSO BE QUITE DIFFICULT SOMETIMES. THE SURF COMES POUNDING IN BUT THEN RECEDES WITH QUITE A STRONG UNDER CURRENT THAT PULLS YOU OUT TO SEA - THE OCEAN IS NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH - ESPECIALLY THE PACIFIC OCEAN.WHEN THE SURF COMES IN, THE WAVES CAN BE 10 FT. HIGH (MAYBE NOT 10 FT. BUT AT LEAST OVER YOUR HEAD). I WATCHED ONE COUPLE STANDING IN THE WATER, WHEN THE SURF, THE 10 FT. WAVE CAME IN, THEY JUMPED UP INTO IT JUST AS IT WAS GETTING TO THEM - THE WAVE CARRIED THEM FOR ABOUT 50 or 60 FT.

NOW, AFTER EXPERIENCING THE POWER AND FORCE OF THE OCEAN SURF;I NOW REALIZE THAT I HAVE NEVER REALLY SEEN OR REALLY BEEN IN REAL SURF BEFORE. VANCOUVER IS PROTECTED BY VANCOUVER ISLAND AND VANCOUVER IS IN A PROTECTED BAY - PORTS ARE USUALLY LOCATED AND BUILT IN PROTECTED AREAS. HALIFAX IS LOCATED IN THE BEDFORD BASIN WHICH IS A VERY PROTECTED AND VERY SHELTERED AREA. THE ONLY PLACE IN CANADA WHERE THERE IS ANY REAL SURF IS THE WEST COAST OF VANCOUVER ISLAND.IN CANCUN I HAVE ALWAYS STAYED ON THE SHELTERED SIDE OF THE PENINSULA. SOMETIMES A RECEDING SURF WAVE HITS AN INCOMING SURF WAVE AND IT MAKES A VERY LOUD BAND, LIKE A CANNON GOING OFF. THIS PROBABLY HAPPENS ABOUT 5 OR 6 TIME AN HOUR.

HOOKING UP WITH OTHER GRINGO´S: - ONE OF THE JOYS AND PLEASURES OF TRAVELING ON THE FLY AND AVOIDING MAJOR TOURIST, VACATION, RESORT AREAS IS THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY HOOKING UP WITH OTHER GRINGO´S, USUALLY AMERICANS, BUT NOT ALWAYS, SOMETIMES CANADIANS..

THE OTHER NIGHT WE ORGANIZED A BARBECUE AT A GRINGO´S HOUSE AND SPENT THE EVENING EATING STEAKS AND SOCIALIZING.

THE NEXT DAY THE BUNCH OF US ( A GROUP OF 6 - ALL BUT ONE BEING LONG HAIRED FREAKS) WENT OUT FOR A DAY´S OUTING IN THEIR VOLKSWAGEN VAN (WESTPHALIA) - THAT SEEMS TO BE THE VEHICLE OF CHOICE OF HIPPIES. WE SAW SOME CROCODILES (THEY WERE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, BIG CROCODILES) AND WENT SNORKELING ON A GOOD SNORKELING BEACH WITH A LOT OF CORAL AND SMALL FISH. WHEN CROCODILES COME INTO MELAQUE, THEY SHOOT, KILL AND EAT THEM. THEY DO NOT WANT CROCODILES IN MELAQUE EATING OR BOTHERING THE TOURISTS. :SNORKELING: WHEN SNORKELING, I MADE THE MISTAKE OF GOING OUT OVER SOME CORAL IN SHALLOW WATER - SURF TENDS TO PUSH YOU AROUND A LOT IN SHALLOW WATER AND THE CORAL IS VERY SHARP - SO I DID GET SCRATCHED UP A LOT BY THE CORAL - AND THEY SAY THAT THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE CORAL THAT PREVENT THE SCRATCHES FROM HEALING - SO I WILL SEE, WHAT I WILL SEE.¨¨THEY¨¨¨¨ TELL ME THAT I SHOULD NOT GO INTO THE WATER FOR A WHILE NOW BECAUSE, ¨¨THEY¨¨, TELL ME THAT HUMAN BLOOD (FROM THE SCRATCHES AND CUTS) ATTRACTS SHARKS AND THAT THE SEA WATER INTERFERES WITH THE SCRATCHES AND CUTS FROM HEALING. YOU NEVER KNOW IF PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT OR IF THEY ARE JUST TALKING - BUT I WOULD HATE TO GO OUT INTO THE WATER AND FIND OUT THAT THEY DID KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT - THAT WOULD NOT BE SO GOOD,

WE WERE SNORKELING AT TENACATITA, ABOUT 30K FROM MELAQUE - I AM STARTING TO GET TO BE ABLE TO SAY SOME OF THESE TONGUE TWISTING MEXICAN NAMES.

WATCHED THE SUN SET INTO THE SEA LAST NITE FROM THE ROOF TOP OF A HOTEL - THERE WAS QUITE A CROWD THERE FOR THE EVENT, EVEN THOUGH IT HAPPENS EVERY NITE. WE GOT A FRONT ROW SEAT TO WATCH THE SUN SET. WHEN THE FIERY RED SUN STARTS TO SINK INTO THE SEA, IT TAKES LESS THAN 5 MINUTES FOR IT TO GO COMPLETELY BELOW THE HORIZON - IT IS SORT OF NEAT SEEING THE LAST LITTLE TINY BIT OF THE SUN DISAPPEAR BELOW THE SEA. AND LAST NITE WAS NEAT, BECAUSE THERE WAS A TINY SLIVER OF A CRESCENT OF THE MOON IN THE SKY WITH A VERY BRIGHT STAR IN THE SKY RIGHT OVER IT (THE ONLY VISIBLE STAR IN THE SKY) - IT WAS VENUS BY THE WAY.

WATCHED THE SUN RISE THIS MORNING - TO CELEBRATE THE SPRING SOLACE - THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING. ALSO IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE A WORLD PEACE, SILENT RALLY, ON THE BEACHES OF THE WORLD, WHERE PEOPLE WERE SUPPOSE TO BE ON THE BEACHES AT 6.30AM AND SPEND A HALF HOUR SILENTLY FORMING THEIR INTENTIONS AS TO HOW THEY WERE GOING TO LIVE IN HARMONY AND PEACE WITH THE WORLD AND THEN THEY WERE TO WATCH THE SUN RISE, A NEW DAWN ON A NEW WORLD OF PEACE AND HARMONY. VERY FEW PEOPLE SHOWED UP - I GUESS PEOPLE ARE NOT AS BIG ON PEACE AND HARMONY AS THEY SAY THEY ARE.

MONDAY WAS A HOLIDAY FOR THE MEXICANS BECAUSE ST. PATRICK´S DAY WAS ON A SATURDAY - THEY SEEM TO TAKE ST. PATRICK´S DAY MORE SERIOUSLY THEN WE DO.I AM MENTIONING THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS A GREAT, BIG FIREWORKS DISPLAY TO CELEBRATE ST. PATRICKS DAY AND I GOT HIT IN THE FACE WITH SOME FIREWORKS.SO I WILL BE COMING BACK TO CANADA WITH SOME BATTLE SCARS - THAT IS IF I ACTUALLY MAKE IT BACK TO CANADA, ALIVE.

IT MAY NOT LOOK FAR ON THE MAP - BUT IT WAS A 8 HOUR BUS RIDE FROM LAKE CHAPALA TO MEXICO CITY AND THAT WAS ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT RELATIVELY HIGH SPEEDS. AND IT WAS A 6 HOUR DRIVE FROM LAKE CHAPALA TO MELAQUE - ALTHOUGH I THINK THAT DRIVE WAS A LITTLE LONGER THAN IT NEEDED TO BE. I AM JUST MENTIONING THIS BECAUSE ON THE MAP WITH THIS TRAVELBLOG, IT LOOKS LIKE ALL OF THESE PLACES ARE PRACTICALLY NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER - THEY AREN´T.

Comments

WISHING I WAS THERE WITH YOU HELLO DARLING,
I WISH I WAS THERE WITH YOU. IT SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY DIVINE AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE MYSELF BEING THERE BY YOUR SIDE. CAN'T WAIT FOR YOUR RETURN.
WISHING YOU MORE FUN ON YOUR EXCELLENT MEXICAN ADVENTURE.